Pretty Little Liars alum Lucy Hale is set to lead a new romance, A Young Widow’s Guide to Life, with international sales launching in Cannes.

The film will be directed by rising filmmaker Mackenzie Munro and produced by Pascal Borno, Alain Gillissen, Silvio Muraglia and Jack Greenbaum. Principal photography will commence this September in Italy.

Written by Katrina Day Schaefer, A Young Widow’s Guide to Life follows Tess Fuller (Hale), a 30-year-old widow who remains emotionally stuck five years after the death of her husband. “On the anniversary of his passing, Luke’s childhood friend publishes a letter he left behind asking the town to help Tess create a list of things to try to start over and move on with her life,” a plot synopsis reads.

“Reluctantly, Tess starts checking items off the list and slowly reconnects with life, love, and herself. As she develops a connection with a charming single father and professor named Marcus, Tess must decide whether she is ready to open her heart again — or if she still needs time to find herself first. After an emotional turning point, she embarks on a solo road trip that ultimately helps her let go of the past and embrace a new chapter.”

The project marks another commercial movie role for Hale, whose recent film F*** Marry Kill topped Hulu in 2025. The star is best known for TV hit Pretty Little Liars, as well as Truth or Dare and The Hating Game.

Munro, meanwhile, began her career in film production as a teenager and went on to direct projects for Facebook Watch, Crypt TV and The Shade Room before making her feature debut with Salvation. She recently wrapped production on Stampede and Wattpad’s Chasing Red, starring Riverdale‘s Madelaine Petsch and The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Gavin Casalegno.

Producers Pascal Borno and Alain Gillissen of Angel Oak Films are bringing A Young Widow’s Guide to Life to Cannes with the aim of securing international distribution partners ahead of production. A deal with Andreas Klein’s German powerhouse, Splendid Films, was closed here on the Croisette for German-speaking territories.

“We are so excited to bring this unique project to Cannes and introduce it to our key buyers,” said Borno. “We are particularly proud of being involved with an established as well as dynamic star, Lucy Hale, and pairing her with another young female rising star, director Mackenzie Munro. This incredible unique script combined with these two incredible women is a winning combination.”